From the World Around Us, U of M Economic Data Forecast, Child Care Tax Credit Expansion, Legislative Lame Duck, and Yoopers Tweeting Less or More?

– INFORMED BREVITY –

This Week in Rural Insights

On Wednesday we will be publishing a short piece by Dr. Russell Magnaghi on the meaning behind “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” You might find this very interesting!

From the World Around Us

Native Americans and Alaska Natives serve in the US Armed Forces at five times the national average. (US DOD/USAF).

Firearm deer season ended with 252,000 deer harvested. This was the first year of mandatory online reporting by hunters, so as to better keep track of herds.

University of Michigan Economic Data Forecast

“In the third quarter of this year government employment was at its lowest level of total employment in Michigan since 1957.”

Child Care Tax Credit Expansion

More than a half million Michigan children could be pushed into poverty if Congress does not expand the Child Care Tax Credit. It has a huge impact on families in the Upper Peninsula and rural areas.

We have posted in our In Case You Missed It tab a new report on this by the Michigan League for Public Policy. It reports that the Child Care Tax Credit impacts 1 in 4 children living in rural Michigan.

Take a look at the report on our website, under the ICYMI tab. It is a very interesting report with some really interesting data. The report gives you a site to look at child care tax credit issues from a national perspective–The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Michigan Legislative Lame Duck

While the Upper Peninsula legislative delegation didn’t change much from the November 22 election–the 109th House District is Democratic while the other UP districts stayed the same–Republican, including the two Senate seats.

However, the control of both the Senate and the House flipped to Democratic control for the new session beginning in 2023. That leaves the closing weeks of 2022–what will the Republican controlled legislature send to the Governor for signature? We are all watching whether this lame duck session will quack quietly and go off into the sunset or will it be an active and loud quacking?

Now the question is what will the new legislative session in 2022 look like and what will be the priorities? What is important to the UP and rural Michigan? What are the priorities of its citizens? Not just UP business organizations but to citizens from all walks of life.

What’s on your mind? Let us know. What do you want Lansing to do to help rural areas of our state, including the Upper Peninsula? Child care, affordable housing, repealing the retirement tax, repeal right to work? Raising the earned income tax? What are your priorities for the UP and for the entire state? Let us know.

Upper Peninsula and All Americans Tweeting Less or More

75% of Americans do not tweet. They do not care about the blue check mark. “On an average weeknight just 1% of US adults watched primetime Fox News and 0.5% tuned into MSNBC.” (Mike Allen, 11.26.22)

It is good to know that most Americans are way, way too busy being normal and want to spend more time with their families and friends.  Hooray for normal America!!!

Do you tweet? Let us know.

Quotes That Make Us Go Hmmm

“Never steal anything you won’t be proud of having stolen.” Bill Veck.

“The effect of liberty to individuals is that they may do what they please; we ought to see what it will please them to do, before we risk congratulations.” Edmund Burke.

Books Recommended By Our Readers

Picket Line Blues. Nino Green. 2022.

Talk To Us

Keep your raves, laurels, rants and darts coming. Send them to us at david@ruralinsights.org. We love to read them. 

About Us

Rural Insights connects policy, information, news and culture to raise topics and stories/information you might have not seen or overlooked. We bring you original writing from Rural Insights and other researchers, change makers, and storytellers, as well as our latest research and analysis.

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